Unedited readers’ mail
One notable man in the country wrote about what Christmas has become in our present generation.
He tried to compare how the season was being spent in his own youthful years.
To him, many things have gone up for sales. A time for real commercialization of anything attached to Christmas.
What
brought about this piece was the dismal display of unethical practice
in December of every year in the recent times, in the name of end of the
year/new year festivity.
Many of the hampers put up for sales were
packed full of almost-expired products as complained by some people who
received these gift packs.
The buyers were not given the chance to pick what they would have preferred.
Though,
the buyers too, were impatient. They got to the sales points to be
faced with different packs of items with varying degree of purchasing
power. That is, according to the amount you had on you to spend.
My
grouse, with that of some buyers, is why Nigerians sellers or traders
could not be honest or decent in their dealings at that period of the
year considering the fact that it is always the time prayers are flying
everywhere to all men
When l heard their discussions, l went home to check the few hamper baskets l still had left.
What did l find?
Some
of those ‘tin’ items like baked beans,Princess Hot Dogs,whole sweet
corn etc had their tins rusty at the bottom of the tins . Their
appearance was not new. The type you see on the old shelf for long. The
worst thing was that the expiry dates were between one and three
months.
My conscience could not give out these items . Some would be too happy to get them without checking all the things l noticed.
Or what if the people are like me who would check things like these before using them.
Would they appreciate almost rotten things for Christmas.
The season was almost marred by the unscrupulous businessmen and women.
Please,
next time or coming festivities, pick items yourself so that you would
not be cheated and your gifts be looked with disdain.
Customers have rights! Do not be deceived.
Dayo Oluomo
Ota